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The Adepts
"I will rise again." The Nazoreans are elite members of the Order of Creators. Believers in Jesus of Nazareth, from whom they take their name, they are Creators reborn as Nazoreans only after their deaths. A Xtrian member of the Creator Order simply dies... and returns later as an immortal Nazorean. AKA: The Risen, the Creators, Living Saints. Patriarch: Jesus of Nazareth. Recruitment: Christians / Order of Creators. Signature Powers: The Powers of Creation. True Immortals Nazorean Degrees Facts: -Not every Xtrian Creator who dies becomes a Nazorean. It simply happens when it happens, whenever God wills it to happen. -Nazoreans can use the basic power of Mustard Seed the same as other Creators. However, after that, they can exert an infinite number of supernatural abilities, depending on the Names they have. Holy Names are sacred things which allow a Creator to use their creative energies as a channel in affecting reality itself. -Normally, the first Name a Nazorean picks up is some variation of God The Creator, which makes sense since that's the Aspect of their Order. -Nazoreans still struggle with over-heating like the rest of the Creators, but they do not suffer as much from Discordance as most Creators do. Nazoreans have a more definitive idea of God's plan through the story of Christ. -Nazoreans are Revenants and Immortals. They were once dead and have returned from the afterlife, and they are now immortal. While they can be killed again through decapitation or piercing the heart, Nazoreans cannot die from old age. -Are strongest at dawn = Nazoreans experience an adrenaline high at dawn, granting them a half-hour of increased strength and stamina. This will occur even if they are inside or underground. -Like the Indwelt, Nazoreans hold a Shekinah, a physical manifestation of God Himself, within their very bodies. However, their Shekinahs are stable and so they do not suffer the explosive powers that Indwelt learn to harness as a weapon. -Can only be killed by piercing the heart = Jesus of Nazareth was stabbed through the heart with a spear. Subsequently, any wound that doesn't pierce a Nazorean's heart or sever his head will only wound him or put him in a semi-permanent coma (but he will eventually recover from even this). To kill a Nazorean the heart must be pierced or somehow cut open, even a nick will do, but the blow must sever the walls of the heart which act as the tabernacle for the Shekinah. Without the Shekinah, the Nazorean's soul is forced back to heaven - and their body collapses to the ground, a corpse once again. -Although Nazoreans cannot die except by decapitation or piercing the heart, and although they can heal extraordinarily fast if they expend Kenosis to do so, they still suffer normal drawbacks of human physiology upon damage. If they lose enough blood, they can fall unconscious. If they are hit hard enough on the head, they can enter shock or suffer amnesia, etc. -Immunity to Intense Light = Bright lights do not hurt the eyes of Nazoreans, even if a mortal's retinas would be burned out by the same intensity of light. This mystical feature of the Creator Tribe is believed to help them in their Creating processes - powerful energy is often released during the act of creating something from nothing, so the ability to see what one is doing is paramount. -Night Blindness = Conversely, while Nazoreans are children of the light and can see in it, they have reduced vision in very dim lighting or near darkness. They aren't totally blind but definitely have a hard time making out shapes or movements in the dark. -Wedlock = Nazoreans have full reproductive capabilities, although offspring, if there are any, are born normal mortal babes. Most Nazoreans choose not to have children because of the 'awkwardness' of raising a child who you will outlive by several lifetimes. Also, while Nazoreans still have full reproductive powers, they lack the animated sex drives of mortals. Their physiology is different and they feel emotion and intimacy differently now. -Ambiogenesis = Neophyte Nazoreans have a reduced need to breath, eat, sleep, or drink. They can go days or weeks without sleep. And Elder Nazoreans may not need any at all. A Nazorean houses a Shekinah, a fiery manifestation of God's Spirit within his own body, with the heart acting as the Tabernacle or exact place of indwelling. That Shekinah is what powers him, keeps his body ageless, and heals him. Thus, he has no need for food, drink, sleep, or even air to breath - everything is supernaturally supplied by The Shekinah. -Run on Kenosis, a measure of their connection to Christ. A Nazorean's connection to his or her's own Shekinah is called Kenosis. This refers to a Nazorean's spiritual state of affairs, since that is how he is connected to God. -Nazoreans are renowned for their endurance and ability to withstand damage that would kill most others. Nazorean bodies heal fast and thus can take more damage then most, their stamina is high even by Supernatural standards. -Are allergic to Olive Wood (causes sever blistering, inflammation with light contact; heavy contact causes bleeding and tissue damage). This strange weakness of the Nazoreans causes them to suffer irritating pain from the prolonged touch of olive wood. Thus, they avoid it. -Raised body temperature: Nazoreans can be made out in a crowd of people with thermal cameras, since The Shekinah causes their bodies to give off a greater amount of heat. -The Will of The Creator = In times of dire need or stress, Nazoreans have often found themselves tapped by an unbelievable strong will, an infinite feeling which they believe can never break. This Will of The Creator often wells up from within them and overpowers attempts to possess or mind control them. -Power to Create: The signature feature of the Nazoreans is their power to Create, either to mold what is already existing or bring forth something from nothing. They believe this act is not them acting alone, but an act of co-creating with God. The only weakness they have in this capacity is their attendance to overheat, as a Nazorean creates he builds up heat within himself. Go too far and his body will begin to suffer damage. Older Nazoreans are more refined and do not suffer this problem, but they all must keep it in mind. -Like the Creators in general, the one thing a Nazorean cannot create is another Nazorean. God reserves that right for Himself. Thus, despite all their power, the Nazoreans are completely dependent on God for their numbers. -A common form of decision making among Nazoreans is to cast lots. This is more then simply pulling straws, prayers are said and petitions made to God for His' guidance in the casting of lots. The idea is that the casting itself is a method for seeing which decision God favors. -In a way, Nazoreans both do and do not possess Variants. Their physiology tends to remain constant, but depending on the types of Names they acquire, and how often they use them, Nazoreans may lose or pickup new supernatural traits. They traits may or may not be permanent, again it depends on what they do with their Names. -Nazoreans are so attuned to the energies of creation that their very bodies are affected even in the minute details of their biology. Nazoreans have to get their hair cut more often because it grows so quickly, and if you cut their nails, the cuttings will continue to grow for up to three days even after being cut off from their body. -Because they are immortal and Christian, Nazoreans will have easier access to Church Lore and Secrets of the Order (Creator Order). -The Nazoreans are a huge Tribe with many branches going off in all sorts of directions. There are Nazorean fundamentalists, artsy types, liberal hippies, military professionals, scientists, etc. Nazoreans come in all shapes and sizes and professions. -The Nazoreans have only formally been around in the last two thousand years. Yet that time period has seen the rise of modern civilization. Coincidence? -Some Nazoreans predate the time of Christ, since Christ appeared to many Old Testament characters. While often referred to as Proto-Nazoreans, this is only a semantic designation. Proto-Nazoreans are Nazoreans in the fullest sense. -Talented or Elder Nazoreans who show a proficiency in a particular kind of power may be called the 'Saint' of that. For instance, a Nazorean who masters powers of fire, heat and anger could be called the Saint or Righteous Fury or the Saint of Rage. This is an undefined practice, however, and many modern Nazoreans have dropped it. -God-Haunted = The world of a Nazorean is a magical place where miracles and prophecies are common and prayers lead to supernatural events. -Like all Creators, Nazoreans thirst for knowledge. Only through knowledge can they learn new Names and understand the concepts behind them. -Technically, all Nazoreans are de facto Monodominants. Remember that they believe the Patriarch of their Tribe wasn't just a man of God... He was God according to them. -Other Supernaturals can use Invocation to some extent, but only Nazoreans have the ability to invoke all of the Names of God. They believe this is because their Patriarch was The Word, the fullness of God's plan. -Some Nazoreans will specialize in a single Name, becoming so proficient at it that they can activate it with minimal Kenosis. This is called their Tag. Invocation: Nazoreans can use Invocation if they have Holy Names, Names which are so existentially empowered that the very act of speaking them affects reality itself. These Names are collected and protected by the Invokers who keep them listed in Litanies, often scrolls or books whose sole purpose is to list the Names and their nature and effects. Also known as Saint Sorcery, the powers of Invocation can be used by Storytellers to to accomplish any feat necessary to push the plot line ahead. A powerful Nazorean can accomplish supernatural effects of Biblical proportions. Notice that the Nazoreans don't have Factions or Sects. This is because differentiation among the Nazoreans is already done according to what Names they have and use the most. For example, a Nazorean in a royal family will posses Names that are royal in nature, and thus possess powers like those wielded by the King Adepts. It needs to be stressed that Invocation is not magic, you don't put a coin into the machine and get the same thing out every time. Most Names, especially smaller, simpler ones, will produce the same effect time and again, but sometimes The Almighty might see fit to tweak the results and cause something different, for whatever reason. *Remember that Nazorean Creators start out with the basic power of Mustard Seed (same as in the Creator Degrees). However, they use that ability to empower their act of speaking Holy Names. Nazoreans do not have Degrees like regular Adepts, they have the Names of God. *If you're trying to create your own Holy Names but can't think up any new ideas as to what powers they cause, try visiting the Superpower Wiki for inspiration. Names for God is also a great source. '' ''*Simply reciting a Name will only produce a basic power of that Name. Mastering a Name of God means acquiring 'True Understanding,' which means knowing everything about that Name; it's history, it's connections, what it implies for other things, etc. Invocation and the acquiring of Knowledge go hand in hand, because the more understanding someone has, the greater their specific understanding of Holy Names. *Some Names are 'banned' by either the State or Church, these kinds of Names are known as Forbidden Theology. *Invocation allows Storytellers and players to 'hijack' the systems of power or magic from other gaming systems and borrow them for use in a Nazoreans story (or they could always make their own). Instead of magic, however, the characters would use the recitation of Holy Names. For instance, Lord of Flames would give a Nazoreans access to powers of fire, etc. '' A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The Word: The Word as a group refers to those Nazoreans who serve Christ as the universal Word of God that underlies all things. Nazoreans use very special Names that grant them the powers of the Lords of Infinity and explore the Omniverse, taking the teachings of Christ with them. The Word has no organization, they function as a loose organization composed of like-minded Nazoreans. They are often aided by Orbs and Infinity Lords (and other Adepts who travel the Omniverse) but they prefer to rely on their Names for navigation and aid in their travels. Olive Wood Allergy: Nazoreans are allergic to Olive Wood. It causes sever blistering, bleeding, prolonged exposure can cause huge whip-like wounds to appear in their flesh. It is excruciating for Nazoreans to endure all this. It is important to note that the Nazorean's skin must come in contact with the wood. Any barrier, no matter how flimsy, will halt the allergy causing confrontation. When a Nazorean does encounter Olive Wood, black veins appear and his skin immediately swells, the nerve endings flare which causes amazing pain, and prolonged exposure causes "whip-like" scars to form on the back and other posterior areas of the body. The reason for this malady is ominous... Nazoreans / Omniverse / Logos: Nazoreans can travel the Omniverse as Lords of Infinity the same as other Creators. They acquire special Names of God that grant them the powers of Infinity Lords. Nazoreans are found across the Omniverse because the Patriarch of their Tribe is The Logos. The Logos is a concept used by Xtrians to prove Christ through natural theology. In simplistic terms, it states that God does an infinite amount of things in the infinite moment that is eternity. Part of that means existing as both Creator and created, infinite and finite, the essence of the two anyway. Both combined mysteriously. As part of natural theology, varying sentient races across the Omniverse have stumbled upon the Truth and become transformed into Nazoreans within their own time and place. Attributes: ''"The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many." Attributes are super-human levels of skill the immortal Nazoreans are able to attain over time. They can do this by want of their long life span. Attributes are not supernatural powers: they are raw skill. Young Nazoreans generally don't have these, but you see them developed among those with whole centuries under their belt. -Perfect sense of time and distance: the Nazorean can just look and know the distance of a space, also he has a perfect sense of the passage of time. -Power of Foresight: the Nazorean's mind can calculate his surroundings so superbly, he can practically know the future for up to five minutes. This 'power' does not predict perfectly, it is simply an act of almost computer like calculating on the brains part, seeing in its imagination how things will play out for the next few minutes. -Know the Group Mind: Nazorean has a knack for judging the social situation upon entering it: whose in charge, the rivalries, enmities, alliances, tensions, etc. -Acute Memory: Character has perfect recall of facts, such as names, people, etc. He can recall the exact image of things he saw and take them apart, effectively studying them in his mind as if examining a photograph with his hands. A Nazorean with this level of skill would be the everliving equivalent of 3D image processor. -Kinesthetics: Character has perfect sense of his body, he can move and contort himself in ways no mortal could ever think too. -Mathamatical Memory: Nazorean can recall numbers even from many years ago, license plate numbers, codes, lock numbers, even passing numbers such as serial numbers on trucks and grates, etc. With this skill worked out to its fullest, he can even pull apart pages of computer binary code and decipher it, all with but a passing inspection. -Heightened Perception: Nazorean has phenomenal eyesight, he can notice small details others easily miss. He can pick out the fake rock with the key in it in the middle of a garden. He can pick out the single, exposed footprint while tracking in the middle of the Everglades, et cetera. -Perfect Pitch: Character's sense of noise and hearing is immaculate, he can detect even the slightest changes in pitch, sound or volume. While he is on the phone, he can tell what else is going on over the line just by the minor background noises. -Foretell Weather: Can sense minor changes in weather patterns that preclude larger changes, making it possible to judge the potential for storms, rain, clear skies, etc. For instance, he can feel a lessening of air pressure on his skin, so slight it would be imperceptible to others, thus informing him the pressure is dropping and a storm is forming. -Increased Hearing & Smell = Because of their bad vision in dim light, the Nazorean's other senses have heightened. He can detect faint smells and sounds much more easily. This is especially true with smell: he can detect what someone recently ate on the smell of their breath, the chemicals and objects in a room by the smell when he walks in, etc. The Great Families: Around the world there are families descended from the family of Jesus Christ. Those born into these bloodlines often exhibit minor supernatural abilities, especially a talent for prophecy. These are the Great Families, and they have woven themselves into the royal bloodlines, banking families and other important kinship across the world. Most of the branches of the Great Families are wealthy, landed and hold hereditary titles. The Nazoreans honor these families because of their ancestry. When in danger, they will move to help them. Conversely, Nazoreans can often expect help from a Great Family they have befriended. Athanasius And The Early Church: The early Xtrian Church faced several problems early on, plague, persecution, disbelief, heresy. But one of the greatest crises the first church faced was the heresy of Arianism which threatened to destroy the church's core nature, her belief in Christ. Arianism became so problematic that the early church fathers held an entire council at Nicaea to debate the issue once and for all. The pro-Christian faction was spear-headed by a church father who had been chased across the Roman Empire in the name of Christian faith. His name was Athanasius, and much of the saving of Biblical faith is due in no small part to his efforts. What intrigues Adepts so much about this man is his mysterious origins and name. In Greek, Athanasius simply means "the Immortal?" Playing A Nazorean: It's important to see Nazoreans as more than just Creators who happen to be Christian. Nazoreans have been fundamentally changed thanks to their link with Jesus of Nazareth. Adepts have imprints of God's Aspects on their souls, but the Nazoreans can be thought of as experiencing a complete and fundamental change to their entire being. And all of that because of their religious affiliation. That kind of thing tends to dominate a person's life, so playing a Nazorean will require being honest and open about one's Xtrian beliefs. Nazoreans & Ghouling: Ghouling, or running a story centered around a troup of Supernaturals, is a staple of Urban Fantasy stories. Nazoreans are perfect for using in Urban Fantasy stories alongside other Supernaturals because they provide people with a legitimate Supernatural who is from heaven but is also a part of the paranormal side of the world. Having a Nazorean interact with other 'monsters' is a great way to explore what exactly it means to be a Nazorean. Nazorean Urban Fantasy Mythos Affiliates: -Church of the Resurection -La Quatro Leon -Thundering Legion -Witan